The controversial plan to build a third runway at London Heathrow has been green lit by the UK government. But Britain’s meetings industry has called for a speedy take-off to help the sector after Brexit. Research claims just a one percent increase in international business air travel would deliver £400 million in economic benefit. From Meetpie.com…
The French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, have jointly agreed to organise the IUCN World Conservation Congress. It will be held in June 2020 at Parc Chanot, Marseille, and France’s commitment to event sustainability was one reason for the country’s selection. From Boardroom…
The Global Destination Sustainability Index has released its second white paper: “Sustainable Destination Management Trends and Insights: The Road to a Circular Economy”. The GDS-Index is a partnership between ICCA, ICCA’s Scandinavian chapter, IMEX, ECM and MCI Group. The report draws from 40 cities that participated in the 2017 GDS-Index benchmarking study. From Meetpie.com…
The opening ribbon has been cut in the new Earth Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut. The $80 million expansion brings the venue’s meeting space to more than 275,000 square feet, including the 125,000 square foot, column-free Earth Expo Center, and the 20,000 square foot Earth Ballroom. From Meetings & Conventions…
Conventions and Incentives New Zealand has called for the removal of the Goods and Services Tax disadvantage the country’s international conferences face compared to other destinations like Australia. Currently GST is charged at 15 percent on registration fees in New Zealand regardless of whether or not attendees are residents. From CIM News Magazine…
Melbourne has secured five international life science conferences in 2019 and 2020, boosting Victoria’s status as a medical technology and pharmaceutical investment destination. The AusMedtech Conference in 2019, AusBiotech National Conferences in 2019 and 2020, and the Biotech Invest Conferences in 2019 and 2020 will attract thousands of delegates. From CIM News Magazine…
A $1.5 billion expansion of Manhattan’s Jacob K. Javits Center is underway. The Las Vegas Convention Center is getting $1.4 billion, the Moscone in San Francisco $500 million, the Orange County Convention Center in Florida around $500 million, and the Miami Beach Convention Center $620 million. But how are decisions behind these projects made? From Successful Meetings…
Sydney has just hosted over 6,500 members of Jeunesse Global, the largest corporate incentive group ever to visit during the city’s Vivid festival. The huge meeting should contribute almost AU$40 million to the NSW economy. The Chief Executive of Business Events Sydney reflects on the value and legacies of such incentives. From Lyn Lewis-Smith via LinkedIn…
Brisbane has just reinforced its reputation as a powerhouse in robotics by welcoming 3,000 delegates from the sector to the 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. The six-day event brought an estimated AU$10.5 million into Queensland’s economy and connected together the state’s substantial ecosystem of robotics institutions and academic departments. From Intellectual Capitals…
Oman’s events industry has just been enhanced with the opening of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre’s convention facilities. The purpose built centre offers two ballrooms, a 456 tiered-seat theatre, and 22 meeting rooms in addition to the already opened Exhibition Centre. In a few months’ time a 3,200-seat theatre will also open. From Boardroom…
Although it may seem dramatic, the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has had little effect on meetings or incentives, the Big Island’s hotels and resorts being on the other side of the island. Meet Hawaii has said that there’s no need to change plans to visit the archipelago’s islands. Photo: Brocken Inaglory. From Successful Meetings…
Once this railway station was Melbourne’s favourite meeting place. Now the Union International des Transports Publics Global Public Transport Summit 2021 is the first event win supported by Australia’s new national bid fund. The four-day meeting will bring 2,000 delegates to the newly expanded Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo: Adam J.W.C. From CIM News Magazine…
Delegates from South Africa, Argentina and South Korea were among thirty national or regional politicians and officials engaging with eighty meetings industry leaders at the IMEX Policy Forum. ‘The Legacy of Positive Policy Making’ was the theme of the event, formerly known as the IMEX Politicians Forum, at the InterContinental Hotel Frankfurt. From Meetpie.com…
The largest ever IMEX has opened in Frankfurt with over 40 first time exhibitors, including the Russian Convention Bureau and both the Uganda and Lebanon Ministries of Tourism. Speakers at the opening ceremony included IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom and Gloria Guevara Manzo, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (pictured). From Meetpie.com…
Australia has recently launched a business events bid fund, and the first meeting it will support, the UITP Global Public Transport Summit, will both be bringing 2,000 delegates to Melbourne in 2021 and deliver AU$9.4 million to Victoria’s economy. John O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, answers three questions about his country’s approach to meetings. From Boardroom…
The Seattle City Council has voted unanimously to allow work on the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center to go forward. The $1.6 billion project, for which ground will be broken this year, aims to double the size of the facility to more than than 850,000 square feet of space. From Meetings & Conventions…
The Palais des congrès de Montréal has assembled a group of leaders from eight of the city’s significant economic sectors into a Multisector Strategic Taskforce. Their mission will be to establish ties with key influencers who will actively help attract major international meetings to Montreal and to the Palais des congrès de Montréal itself. From Boardroom…
The German events sector continues to grow, with meetings and conferences responsible for 31 percent of business trips. Digitisation and internationalisation are key for the industry, according to the newly-released Meeting & Event Barometer 2017-2018. Delegate growth in 2017 was 2.8 percent, with 405m participants in all. 24 percent of planners are organising hybrid events. From Meetpie.com…
Jeannie Lim, Executive Director of Conventions, Meetings and Incentive Travel at the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, has been elected Board Chair of BestCities Global Alliance. BestCities is currently planning its third annual Global Forum taking place in Bogotá this December, and the second running of “Incredible Impacts” in partnership with ICCA. From Association Meetings International…
ICC Wales has reached an important milestone, with more than half the steel of the build now in place, including the framework of the 1,500-seat auditorium. The £84 million joint venture between Celtic Manor and the Welsh Government will accommodate 5,000 delegates and bring £70 million a year into the Welsh economy. From Meetpie.com…
Powered by 
